"Good design should be invisible" is a common idea thrown about, but have you ever considered the negative implications of this? Architecture and homelessness are fundamentally linked to each other, however, in the modern day this seems to be for the worse with hostile architecture frequenting more of our urban landscape. In this talk the relationship between the two and the need for a re-evaluation of such is discussed using reference to projects with both positive and negative impact.

Video credits: 2Beards Film and Video Production.

Rory Thomas is a second-year architecture student at the Manchester School of Architecture. He is talking as a member of and on behalf of the group WOAH (Without a Home), a student-led initiative that aims to raise awareness and provide creative solutions to the homeless community, within and out of Manchester.

The group was created and is based within the architecture school but emphasises collaboration both inside and out of the discipline.

At the moment WOAH is collaborating with an artist that was previously homeless, Ollie Martin, and the firm Architecture Unknown on their latest project ‘Sounds of the Streets’. This is a crowdfunded project to create a walkable space to listen to Ollie’s soundscapes within. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx